Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies

  • Prep 1 hr 20 min
  • Total 2 hr 45 min
  • Servings 36

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

Topping

  • 1 bag (14 oz) caramels, unwrapped
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoons coarse (kosher or sea) salt

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups butter with electric mixer on high speed until creamy. Beat in sugar and vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour until blended.
  • 2
    Divide dough in half. Between 2 sheets of waxed paper, roll 1 portion of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. On ungreased cookie sheet, place cutouts about 2 inches apart. Repeat with second portion of dough.
  • 3
    Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set and just barely light golden (do not overbake). Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks; cool completely.
  • 4
    In medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and milk uncovered on High 2 minutes 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Frost each cookie with about 1 rounded teaspoon caramel mixture.
  • 5
    In small microwavable bowl, melt chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Drizzle chocolate over caramel on each cookie. Sprinkle generously with salt. Let stand until set.

  • If desired, substitute 1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk) for the caramels and milk. Spread each cookie with dulce de leche and proceed as directed.
  • You can omit the coarse salt on top of the cookies and instead add a dash of salt to the cookie dough.
  • For a quick and easy way to drizzle the chocolate, spoon melted chocolate into a small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut off a tiny corner of the bag and squeeze bag to drizzle the chocolate evenly over cookies.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories
190
Calories from Fat
90
Total Fat
10g
15%
Saturated Fat
6g
30%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
20mg
7%
Sodium
150mg
6%
Potassium
50mg
1%
Total Carbohydrate
24g
8%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
11g
Protein
2g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
6%
6%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
2%
2%
Iron
4%
4%
Exchanges:
1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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